Varnish.



FERDINAND EPHRAIM, or SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, 'nss'renon or osmium T0 LOUIS OETTINGER, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

VAKNISB.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters I'atent. Application filed August 28, 1907. Serial No. 390,544.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND EPHRAIM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Santa Barbara, in the county of SantaBarbaraand State of California, have invented a new and Im roved Varnish, of which. the following is a iiill, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to substances extracted from certain plants and more particularly to shellac-like gum extracted from the plant commonly knowin 'in northern Mexico and along the Rio Grande as the ocotilla, the botanical name being Fougm'em, of which there are four species, one bein the Fougm'e-ra splende'ns. The Fougmem grows Wild in arid regions and deserts, and up to the present time has been practically useless for any purpose. v

I find that by roper manipulation, a gum can'be extracted from the Fougm'era, this gum having man of the properties of sheilac and being su1table for working up into varnishes. v

From numerous experiments I have found that the ocotilla plant, aside from the water it contains, consists mainly of vegetable fibers and a solid gum very much like shellac. This gum constitutes from twelve to eighteen per cent. of the total plant. It dissolves readily in alcohol and other gum solvents, including alkaline solutions. It is usually soluble in acetylene tetrachlorid and when subjected to the action of this solvent, it forms therewith a varnish. After the gum has been dissolved out from the other organic material of the plant and becomes a part of the fluid of the solvent, and the liquid thus formed is caused to evaporate, there remains a solid residual gum analogous to shellac. This residuum'serves as a base for further operations. It may be used for ahnost any purpose for which the shellac of commerce is employed, for instance, the manufacture of sealing Wax, stifiening of felt hats, the manufacture of lacquers and in the manufacture of varnishes.

in separating the gum from the ocotilla plant the stalks or the entire plant in 1ts naturalstate is removed from its embedment and subjected to heat, such as heat of the sun or the heat of dry air. This extracts the moisture from the lant and causes decomposition to set in. 1 whole, or any part thereof maybesuspended in any liquid ca able of dissolving, shellac or of dissolving acquers. Howeven; ,find,

it more advantageous for recovering a argei per cent. of the gum to break, crush or" pull.

a plant into fine particles, the comminuted material thus formed being] next submerged or suspended within a solv-* verize the ocotil ent liquid. This permits the" solvent liquid to attack the particles of organic 85;

matter containing the gum, softening not:

only the gum but the tissues containing'the same and by degrees dissolves the softened tissue. I find further that all parts of the iii tissues except those containing hard fiber,

are assimilated by the liquid and form a very close physical union therewith. The

liquid now laden with thefsoluble gum of the Patented Au 9, 1910..

he stalk, the plant as a ocotilla plant, is strained so as to leave the fiber freed and se-arat'ed from the m. The strained liquic, consisting of so vent fluid holding irr-solution the gum,'forms an article of commerce, and Within itself constitutes a very good varnish. I find that.

it may be used by itself as a varnish or ma be mixed with other ingredients with whic varnishes are ordinarily mixed in commerce. When the liquid recovered is completely evaporated, a crystalline residuum remains,-

and this also constitutes a material of conimerce, be1n analogous to shellac or to simr lar materia s employed in the manufacture of lacquers.

Among the solventswhich may be emplo ed as above described for dissolving the she lac-like gum from the plant are ordinary commercial alcohol, absolute alcohol (either of these alcohols being preferably heated) and ordinary commercial alcohol mixed with liquefied caustic soda. I also find that alcohol of almost any kind, when admixed with ammonia makes a suitable solvent for the purpose in question and acts more quickly than the other solvents-men:

tionedi Acetylene tetrachlorid mixed with mmonia is also suitable for the purpose.

In testimony whereof I have signed my I name to this specification in the presence of 10 Having thus described my invention, I two subscribing witnesses.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 5 Patent:

As an article of manufacture, a varnish, the base of which is the gum from the 000- tilla plant.

FERDINAND EP'I-IRAI'M \Vitnesses JARED J. LUssNnn, E. F. FLETCHER. 

